By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist
When life feels unpredictable, it can help to pause and intentionally define a few basics of what truly matters. For many people, these priorities tend to fall into areas such as:
Health
Connection
Security
Leisure
Fun
Relaxation
Work
Hobbies
Creativity
By taking time to clarify what is important across these areas, we begin to create a map that can guide us. Rather than leaving things to chance or to the ups and downs of mood, we can instead create a path that offers direction and meaning.
This process is explored in more detail in our article on clarifying your values, which outlines how identifying core life directions can enhance psychological clarity and follow-through.
Once values become clearer, the next step involves translating them into action. For example:
If health matters, that might become “go for a 30-minute walk three times a week.”
If connection matters, it may look like “calling a friend or family member once a week.”
If creativity matters, this could involve “setting aside one evening for painting or writing.”
These actions remain intentionally small, practical, and specific. As a result, they help turn values into behaviours that realistically shape daily life.
Keeping actions small and realistic also aligns with the psychological benefits of simplicity, where reducing complexity helps conserve mental and emotional energy.
After identifying meaningful actions, it helps to schedule them into the week ahead. When people place these actions in a calendar or diary, much like any other appointment, they make them more concrete. In practice, this approach reduces reliance on fluctuating motivation and supports steadier follow-through.
Stick-to-itiveness refers to the ability to persist even when thoughts or emotions shift. Although feelings and motivation naturally rise and fall, values-consistent actions can still act as reliable anchors.
For many people, difficulties with persistence link closely to challenges in managing strong emotions, particularly during periods of stress, fatigue, or uncertainty.
Over time, maintaining this structure despite the ebb and flow of internal experience allows steadiness and change to take shape. In turn, this process supports resilience and fosters greater trust in one’s ability to live in alignment with what truly matters.
From a clinical perspective, values-based action and behavioural consistency sit at the core of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and behavioural activation approaches. Research consistently shows that action guided by values, rather than mood or motivation, is associated with improved psychological flexibility, resilience, and wellbeing [1–3].
For some individuals, earlier experiences shape sensitivity to threat or overwhelm, which can make consistency more challenging. In these cases, a trauma-informed therapy lens often provides helpful context.
Consistency does not require perfection. Instead, it involves repeatedly returning to chosen actions despite discomfort, disruption, or self-doubt.
What does stick-to-itiveness mean in psychology?
In psychological terms, stick to itiveness describes the ability to continue engaging in meaningful actions over time, even when motivation, mood, or confidence fluctuates. More broadly, it relates closely to values-based living and psychological flexibility.
Why is value-based action more effective than relying on motivation?
Motivation naturally rises and falls over time. By contrast, values-based action provides steadiness because it follows what matters rather than how someone feels in a particular moment. Research demonstrates that acting in line with values supports long-term wellbeing and resilience [1–3].
How do I choose values without overthinking them?
Rather than seeking perfect answers, many people find it helpful to identify broad life directions such as health, connection, or creativity. From there, they can translate these values into small, realistic actions that suit current circumstances.
What if I cannot stick to my plan every week?
Consistency does not mean rigidity. Missing an action is not a failure. In these moments, skills drawn from distress tolerance approaches can help people stay engaged without pushing beyond capacity.
Can this approach help with anxiety, depression, or burnout?
Yes. Values clarification and behavioural consistency form central elements of evidence-based therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and behavioural activation. Consequently, clinicians widely use these approaches when working with anxiety, depression, and burnout [1–3].
If you would like support clarifying your values or building steadier follow-through during periods of emotional difficulty, you are welcome to make an enquiry or book an appointment here:
https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/